Another Chance
by SissiCuddles
Summary: The last thing she remembered from her days in Princeton was her mother buckling her up in the back seat of the car. Soon after they were on the road, the New Jersey countryside moving fast around them and Rachel knew something was wrong. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Another chance**

****Hello people, here I am with another story :) I hope you'll like it. Feedback is very much appreciated.  
>A big thank you to <em>partypantscuddy<em> for beta-ing, check out her stories, will ya?

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><p><em>Columbus, 2024<em> **(A/N: Now, how weird is that! xD)**

_They didn't wave at each other, nor say goodbye. Rachel drove down the street and sped in direction of the highway, feeling her mother's eyes following her till she took a turn to the right and the house she had been living in for more than ten years, disappeared behind her back, not to be seen again soon._

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><p>They had moved to Columbus when she was barely 4 years old.<p>

She remembered spending the night at her grandmother only to be woken up gently by her grandmother. Arlene had been extremely sweet and had tried to keep her busy the whole day. First they went to the park, they visited the zoo and they went to the movies. That night her mother didn't pick her up. Nor she did the day after and the one following. She remembered asking her grandmother why her mommy wasn't there with her and Arlene had replied that she had to sort things out with someone. Just before her mother came back she had asked why her mommy didn't like her anymore. Arlene had almost cried at her granddaughter's question, something very unusual coming from her. The elder woman had hugged the kid and held her close till the toddler fell asleep.

The last thing she remembered from her days in Princeton was her mother hugging her close to her chest and placing sweet and soft kissed on her cheeks and forehead, before buckling her up in the back seat of the car. Soon after they were on the road, the New Jersey countryside moving fast around them and Rachel knew something was wrong. She only hoped everything would get better for her mommy. Those were her only thoughts while she looked intently at her, trying to understand while her mommy looked so miserable and scared.

It was only two years after that day that she met Dr James Wilson again. Her mother had looked happy but yet nervous when she greeted him and welcomed him into our house. She wanted to know everything that had happened during her absence, but she also feared of some aspects of her old life.

Rachel was only 6 years old but she could understand things. Her teachers have always told her mother that she was very intelligent. "She's a natural genius at maths" they had said. Cuddy's eyes had shone with pride that day. She was good at school, but that's all they thought she was good at. They thought she couldn't understand adults things, but if they only could see the apprehension she felt towards her mother. Rachel knew without being told that her mother was still trying to forget about something that had happened before they left Princeton; to forget the reason why they were forced to leave.

"Kids are resilient, Lisa." James had told her mother. "I'm sure Rachel doesn't even remember him being part of her life." he had added then. The girl sighed from her hiding spot. How could she forget about him? About his best friend? About the man that had taught her how to play Feed The Monkey? Or the man who had watched cartoons with her? He had been the closest person resembling a father that she had ever had. And she was only three when she had met him and she had never had the chance to say goodbye when he had completely disappeared from her and her mother's life. She didn't know the reasons; all she knew was that her mother had been moody after that and she had spend most of her time sobbing and crying.

She was 15 when her mother had explained to her that she was adopted. It had been difficult for her to understand that her mother didn't lie to her for fifteen years straight, but that she had waited for her to be old enough to understand. They had cuddled on her mother's bed while the older Cuddy told her everything about that Christmas. "You've been my present, Rachel. The best gift I could have ever received for Christmas." she had said, happy tears running down her face. Rachel had hugged her mother and told her how much she loved her, before falling asleep at her side, still clutching at her blouse. Rachel had wanted to ask more about her biological parents, but she knew her mother didn't have the answers. She also wondered if she could ask her about House, but then decided that it was better for her to wait some more time; it wasn't the right time to talk about him.

Two years later they had a huge fight. Actually it was a series of arguments and a series of lies. Rachel needed to know. She couldn't just pretend that she had never lived in Princeton like her mother wanted her to believe.

"What about House?" she had asked. Her mother had stared at her dumbfounded.

"You remember him?" Cuddy asked sitting now on the couch.

"Of course I remember him, mom! He was the closest person to a father that I have ever got! He was my best friend, mom! But you have never seem to understand that!" Rachel had yelled in frustration.

"I've never thought you could remember. You were only three years old and House and I had been together for less than a year." her mother tried to justify herself.

"Mom, I remember watching cartoons with him. I remember him babysitting me and playing that stupid game with the monkey with him." she said shaking her head in exasperation. "You've never told me why we left Princeton. Never. Every time I did ask you, you always deflected. Why?" she asked standing up and walking to the nearer window.

Silence filled the room for a couple minutes as Rachel waited for her mother to finally answer to her never ending question. She wanted to fill those gaps in her logic and in her past.

"I almost died that year." Cuddy confessed. "I had a mass in my kidney. We thought it was cancer. I was scared to death that I might die and that you might lose me forever, that I might lose you and House. When he knew that I could die, he ran away from me. He didn't support me how he was supposed to." she explained.

"Mom, he was scared! I would have been scared myself. The only thought of losing you or losing the man I love would be enough to destroy me." the girl said.

"And don't you think that I was scared myself?" Cuddy shouted. "I had lived my whole life trying to do my best at everything. I had never cared for a family till I was finally the best at my job. Then there was you and then there was House. I loved him so much; I think that I have always loved him, maybe since the first time I saw him." she sobbed and smiled sadly. "I needed him there to hold my hand. To tell me that everything was going to be all right even though it wasn't true. I knew it was hard for him; it wasn't in his nature to be open about his feelings."

"I'm sure he had tried..." Rachel started.

"Rachel, I'm not finished." she stated firmly. Cuddy glared at her daughter and Rachel immediately sat back on the couch in front of her mother. "You sure remember he had a limp." she prompted. Seeing her daughter nodding, she continued telling the whole story about House's surgery. "He started taking Vicodin and never stopped except a couple times. He had been clean for an year when we got together. But he was still an addict." she said grimly, taking a deep breath. "He showed up at the hospital the night before I had to undergo surgery. I was relieved and happy that he had been able to leave his fears behind and he was finally there with me. Later on I found out that he had taken Vicodin that night. He told me he had been in pain and that he couldn't stand the thought of losing me. He begged me not to leave him, but I had to do it for myself and also for you. We didn't talk much after that. Several things happened. Julia tried to set me up with a friend of your uncle. House stopped by that night while we were having dinner to give me back my hairbrush. He saw the man and..." Cuddy started crying again as she recalled the events of that dreadful night.

"I was at grandma's place that night, wasn't I?" Rachel asked, earning a nod from the other woman.

"Rachel, he drove into our living room with his car." she whispered, her voice was so low that Rachel barely heard her. She gasped in shock and shook her head no.

"I don't believe it." the girl said.

"Trust me, Rachel. He did and once he got out of the car, he handed me the hairbrush and walked away like nothing had happened. He got arrested some time later. I handed in my resignation the following day and tried to find another job away from Princeton. I had acquaintances here in Columbus. In less that a week I had a new job and a new place. We moved here immediately." she finished her story with a sad sigh and a sob. Cuddy was still crying and looking at her daughter who was sitting right in front of her.

Rachel was thinking about what her mother had told her. She had always though House was a good man, her best friend, but she was wrong. Was she? The young woman sighed and cradled her head in her hands trying to make things clear in her head. There was one last thing she needed to know.

"Are you still in love with him?" she asked all of a sudden. Cuddy stiffened from her seat and stared at her for a while. Rachel looked up at her mother, clearly waiting for an answer.

"No." she replied staring blankly at her hands. Rachel shook her head and chuckled.

"That was a lie, mom." she said. Cuddy looked up at her again in shock. "I can see it in your eyes that this is a lie and I see the way you talk about him. Your eyes shine even though you're saying something dreadful about him."

"Rachel, I had to leave him. He was dangerous for both of us..." Cuddy replied, her voice rising at her daughter's smug expression.

"Oh, come on! He would have never hurt you nor me! He was hurt mom!" she yelled.

"Stop justifying him, Rachel! He doesn't need you to be his advocate! Ha did something extremely wrong and he had to pay for it." Cuddy shouted at the younger woman. Rachel walked to the hallway, took her coat, her purse and the car keys before entering the living room once again.

"You are lying to yourself, mom." she said harshly. She walked to the front door and opened it. She took a deep breath and walked towards her car.

"Rachel, come back inside this instant!" Cuddy yelled from the porch, tears streaming down her face.

"Leave me the hell alone, mom!" Rachel replied sharply as she opened her car. She closed the door with anger and frustration and switched on the car.

"Rachel, don't you dare leave!" her mother said as she walked towards the car she had recently helped Rachel in buying. The girl looked up at her mother; her eyes red and puffy from the tears and the sleepless nights spent looking for answers and every piece of information she could gather about her biological parent.

She glanced one more time at her mother. Cuddy's eyes pleaded her to get out of the car and forgive her, to get back inside their house and pretend that nothing had happened. And if she could only allow herself a few seconds of silence, she could have heard her mother's soft whispers that even though she wasn't her biological mother, she was the one who brought her up and loved her more than she had ever loved anyone.

They didn't wave at each other, nor say goodbye. Rachel drove down the street and sped in direction of the highway, feeling her mother's eyes following her till she took a turn to the right and the house she had been living in for more than ten years, disappeared behind her back, not to be seen again soon.

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><p><strong>Leave a review, pweeetty pweeease! ^^<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Another Chance**

I am writing this just to make things clear: Rachel is now 17, Cuddy is 57, House is 65, Wilson is 61 and Arlene is 78. A huge thank you to whoever read the and reviewed the first chapter! And I also have to thank partypantscuddy for beta-ing this :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Rachel had been driving for hours stopping every once in a while to fetch something to eat or drink and to freshen up a bit. She spent the first night in Pittsburgh, in a cheap motel along the street. She didn't want to stop, she wanted to drive for a couple of more hours, but she knew that it was better to get some rest before doing something stupid and reckless that could cost her her life. She asked for a room and the woman behind the counter immediately gave her the keys, before disappearing again behind a thick blue curtain.

She opened the door to her room in a rush and immediately threw her handbag onyto the very small couch under the window. After switching on the lamp on the bedside table she inspected the room with critical eyes. She sighed and plopped onto the bed, hoping with all her heart that no one had died in there. She chuckled to herself remembering all the TV shows in which someone got murdered in one of those cheap motels. Rachel laid onto the bed and tried to sleep.

Six hours later she was paying for her room with one of the credit cards her mother had given her in case of need. Rachel knew her mother could find her easily this way, but she didn't really care. She was sure her mother knew where she was heading to.

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><p>Her next stop was Philadelphia and Rachel arrived there that evening. She stopped at the first cafe she found along the road for something to eat. She entered the place and sat in the most hidden corner, away from other people. She ordered a coffee and a bagel from the waitress and waited.<p>

It was half past nine when she exited the place and entered her car again. She sat there contemplating on her next actions, when she decided that she couldn't stay seated in that car again. Not now. She got out of the car and walked along the streets of Philadelphia.

What she was doing was crazy.

Rachel sighed and closed her jumper up till the neck, trying to stop the summer breeze coming her way.

She had just left her mother and had drove all the way from Columbus only to spite her mother. No, that wasn't the real reason. She was doing this for herself. She really wanted to know what her parents looked like; she thought that maybe knowing them, well, knowing her father, would give her a better and more positive view of life. She didn't know why she thought that, but she felt it would have helped her be a better person. But in her plan, she had hurt her mom, the woman who had fought to have her, the person who loved her more than everything.

Rachel kept walking for another hour, looking around herself, debating whether she was doing the right thing or not. She took her cell phone out from the front pocket of her jeans, only to realize that her battery was completely dead. She spotted a pay phone and walked towards it. She stopped in front of it and sighed. She needed to call her mother and tell her that everything was all right. She rummaged through her handbag and took out few coins.

She waited for her mother to pick up the phone but when she didn't the pre-registered message of Cuddy's voicemail started playing. Rachel huffed annoyed and hung up.

She leaned her forehead against the cold glass of the phone cabin. She dialed the same sequence of numbers again.

"_This is Dr Lisa Cuddy… "_

"_And Rachel Cuddy…"_

Rachel heard herself giggle and smiled.

"_We're not home at the moment…" _her mother said.

"_And doing something cooler than answering the phone…"_ Rachel continued.

"_Rachel!"_ Cuddy scolded her daughter.

"_Please leave a message."_ They said together.

"I hoped you'd have gotten rid of that voicemail." Rachel said. "Mom, I love you, but you have to understand that I need to do this. Only for this time, please, let me do this, alone. Don't come after me and… don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." she stopped unsure. "I'll call you. Ok?" She hung up the phone.

She looked around her and felt independent, but alone. But that's what she had always wanted, wasn't it? She had wanted be treated like an adult, to be able to do whatever she wanted to do, but she had never asked to be alone. Rachel walked back to her car and decided upon continuing to drive.

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><p>She had visited her grandmother and aunt almost every year. Her mother and her had tried to visit at least every two years during Christmas break. Rachel could still recognize some of the streets.<p>

She smiled. She did it. She was where she wanted to be, where she could find an answer to all the questions she had been asking herself for way too long.

It was an extremely cathartic experience. When she spotted the welcoming sign, she felt her sorrows and worries, slide away and a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders.

Rachel drove to her grandmother's house, thanking the navigator Wilson had gave her for her birthday. She drove there almost automatically and as she stopped the car, she immediately glanced at the white estate.

She must have been staring for quite some time, because Arlene was now standing by the door, leaning on her cane.

Arlene Cuddy, now in her late seventies, was still as fierce as she was at the age of twenty. Her white hair, the soft wrinkles and the exhausted body were the only sign of her age; inside she was still the annoying, fierce bitch she had always been.

She stood by the door, smirking at her younger granddaughter. Rachel smiled and got out of the car. In the blink of an eye, she was in Arlene's waiting arms. The girl was clinging to her grandmother helplessly. Arlene shushed her and ushered her inside.

Rachel was sitting on the couch as her grandma brought her a steaming mug of coffee.

"You should eat something, Rachel." She suggested handing her the cup.

"I'm fine, gram." The girl reassured her.

"Just because your mother still eats all that healthy crap, doesn't mean you have to starve to death like she does. She had always been a bad influence regarding food." Arlene almost snarled.

"Gram, trust me. I have eaten so many greasy burgers and French fries to make mom drop dead." She joked.

"So… your mother called as soon as you left."

"She did?"

"That she did. She told me you were coming to Princeton because you 'needed to know things'" The woman explained, receiving a nod in return. "She also mentioned House." Arlene continued.

"You know him?" the girl asked, setting the mug on the coffee table.

"Of course I know him. He saved my life." She chuckled. "Almost killed me first, but he did save me."

Rachel smiled and Arlene could tell from the young woman's eyes that she wanted to know more about the mysterious man. She indulged her mind to travel back to those months.

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><p>"I've never seen your mother so happy. In a crazy way, House and her were perfect for each other. When she broke up with him, I was disappointed. But I guess it was partly my fault." Arlene shook her head. "She grow up aiming to be the best at everything and the high standards she has set for herself are all my fault. If I look back at her life choices, I feel either guilty or proud. She's such a beautiful woman, has a great job and everything that comes with being a woman in career, but… she is not happy. If it weren't for my influence on her, she would probably be married with a rich Jewish doctor or something." Arlene smiled sadly as Rachel snuggled to her grandmother's side.<p>

"If it wasn't for her high standards, I wouldn't be here, would I?" she stated with a smile. Rachel yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "We've been talking for two hours." She continues, looking at the clock.

"Yeah, and I can tell that you could use some sleep. Come on, I had the guest room made for you." Arlene gave her granddaughter one last kiss on the forehead, before the girl left the living room.

Ten minutes later, the phone rang. Arlene smirked and reached for it.

"So, is she there already?" a voice asked.

"Yes, she is. But give her some time. She'll come to you when she's really ready."

"Mmmm. Okay."

"You'll meet her again soon, House. Don't worry about that."


	3. Chapter 3

**Another Chance**

Thanks again to Syd (partypantscuddy) who beta-ed this one too :) She also sent me an email saying: "You will always be the most incredible man I have ever known." "I choose you. I will always choose you.", before sending out another one telling me to ignore her previous email. Dude, you hurt me deep inside! I thought we were soul mates! xD

Guess who's in Princeton? Te he he ;D

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Rachel Cuddy had been in Princeton for a week now. Her grandmother had brought her shopping on her second day mentioning that she had grown mold in those clothes, especially in those "cheap thingies you call shoes." Rachel hadn't heard directly from her mother but she knew that Arlene received several calls every day.

The girl had developed quite a routine during her stay. Every morning she would wake up and go for a run. A T-shirt, a pair of shorts, comfortable shoes and she would run for miles. She had always been a very athletic person: captain of the swimming team, cheerleader for a couple years and also Karate every once in a while. She couldn't deny though, that she had enjoyed doing yoga with her mother too. But no one knew better than herself, how she felt when she run. She felt free, but still in control of herself. She felt as if no one could stop her.

She would run for an hour, first along the river, then till the other side of town. She would stop then, grab a cappuccino at the nearest Starbucks and sit on one of the benches in front of the hospital. Rachel knew it was silly of her to do this, but she couldn't help herself. And every morning at around 10, she would see a man, entering the hospital with the help of his cane.

That morning though, she didn't see him. It was already a quarter to eleven and there was no sight of him. Rachel stood up from the bench, threw the paper cup in the closest trash can and stretched her muscles. Giving one last glance at the main doors of the hospital, she sighed and took a step forward.

"You know that what you've been doing could be classified as stalking, don't you?" a man asked.

Rachel turned around, cheeks flushed in embarrassment at being caught. Her eyes widened as she saw him.

"I... I didn't mean to..." she mumbled incoherently while taking a step back.

"Of course, you didn't mean to spy on me since you the day arrived here in Princeton." he replied with a smirk.

"I..." she stopped. "How do you know I'm not from here?" she asked.

"I see you can be as thick as your mother." he said. Rachel shook her head in disbelief and was about to protest, but he stopped her. "Come on, let's talk somewhere else." he added, motioning to the hospital.

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><p>Five minutes later they were in his office on the fourth floor. He sat behind his desk while Rachel looked around.<p>

"I'm gonna get you some clean clothes." House said.

"There's no need. I can go back home and drive back here. It'll take me less than an hour." she said.

"Nah." he shook his head. "Adams!" he yelled. A woman from the conference room looked towards the office. She stood up from her seat next to a blonde doctor and strode into the office.

"What do you want now, House?" she asked. House glared at her and glanced at Rachel. Dr Adams spotted the girl for the first time and gave her a small smile. "Oh, hi."

Rachel waved shyly and looked at House dumbfounded.

"Adams, I want you to find some clean clothes for this girl." House ordered her.

"Uhm. Okay..." she mumbled under her breath. "Come on, let's go." she said to Rachel.

As soon as they left the office, House picked up his phone and dialed Arlene's number.

"Did she finally gather the courage to come up to you?" he heard her ask.

"Nope, she was still outside when I arrived. I stopped her before she could literally run away."

"Do you think you did right? She might not be ready for this." she replied.

"She could have easily run off. I'm a cripple, I couldn't really run after her."

"Just... don't forget that she is not Lisa." Arlene recommended.

"I know... I know..." he concluded before hanging up.

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><p>"So, you work for Dr House?" Rachel asked as they rode the elevator down towards the changing rooms.<p>

"Yes, I do." the woman replied with a small smile. "I've never seen you before."

"Oh, I'm not from here." Rachel immediately replied. "Well, I was born here but my mom and I moved when I was only a kid." she explained. Adams nodded.

"Dr Jessica Adams, by the way." the woman presented herself.

Rachel shook her hand. "Rachel Cuddy. Nice to meet you."

They were walking towards the changing room when Rachel let out a loud pitched scream and ducked behind the doctor. Jessica stiffened a little at the girl's behavior, but waved at Wilson who was coming their way.

"Is House in now?" he asked.

"Yup, he's just got in. He was in his office when I left." she replied.

When Wilson walked away, Adams turned around to face the girl.

"What is your problem?" she asked.

"I don't want to see him! He'll go rattle to my mother that he saw me here." She mumbled.

"May I say that you're weird?"

"It's a long story." Rachel said, shaking her head. They entered the changing room. Adams handed her spare clothes to Rachel.

"I guess they'll be a bit loose on you."

"Nah, they'll be perfect. Thank you." Rachel smiled.

"The showers are right there" she said, pointing to the doors behind the girl's back. Rachel thanked her once again. "You know, we have some time to spare, if you feel like telling me your story, or simply talk to someone, I'm here." Jessica added. Rachel looked confused, but nodded.

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><p>They had been sitting in the park for at least five minutes. Rachel was starting to get even more uncomfortable and so was House.<p>

"So… you and my mom used to date when I was little." Rachel broke the ice, receiving a nod from the man. "And she was your boss."

"Yep." he said. "And a good one at that. But don't tell anyone I said that." Rachel laughed. "Is she still a workaholic?" he asked.

"That she is." she confirmed. "Look, I came here for several reasons and one was to talk to you again. I don't remember a lot about you, and I think it's actually kind of normal seeing that I was barely 3 when you were with my mother." Rachel looked up at him. Seeing his blue eyes on her, she kept talking. "My mother still loves you."

"No, she doesn't." he said. "I screwed everything up."

"Yes, you did." Rachel sadly confirmed. "But I can tell you that she still loves you and I can bet on my Piano that you love her just as much as she does."

"You play?" he asked with a smile.

"I do." she replied smiling. "I started when I was 6. Mom has always been so proud of me. She loves it when I play, but there are times when she looks like she might start crying at any moment." she finished in a whisper. "Anyway..." she coughed. "Hand me 20 bucks." she ordered jumping off the table they were sitting on.

"Why whould I do that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Because I asked you to?" she asked pouting a little. "I'm hungry and I don't have money with me. You buy us lunch today and I'll pay another time." she explained.

"Okay." he gave in. "There's a Chinese restaurant right around the corner there" he informed her, pointing to the street they had walked onto earlier. "Tell them I'm the one ordering, they know what I want." Rachel nodded and started running towards the shop.

"Get extra pancakes!" he yelled after her.

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><p>Rachel exited the restaurant less than 20 minutes later with two bags full of food. She walked back to the park to find House laying on the table, talking on the phone. She sat on one of the benches and gently pushed him from the middle of the table. House lazily sat on the other bench and looked for something in the bag in front of him.<p>

"My pancakes!" he mouthed. Rachel rolled her eyes and looked in her own bag. When she didn't see them, she sighed and pointed to the restaurant. House nodded.

House observed the girl as she looked at her left and at her right before crossing the street. He looked at the contents of her bag and smirked. She didn't get those freak tendencies her mother had: mushu pork, chicken noodles and shrimp.

"I see you're not a rabbit food freak like your mother." he joked as he saw a shadow on the table. Too busy trying to catch a shrimp with his chopsticks he didn't look up.

"House." a voice said.

When he looked up he froze. Cuddy was standing in front of him, sunglasses on and arms crossed.

"Mom?" Rachel asked running towards the table. "What the hell are you doing here?"

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><p>I hope I'll be able to update soon :) keep the feedback coming please :)<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

**Another Chance**

****Well hello you awesome people! I'm back with a new update and soon a new story will be added. I'm also working on a new chapter for "Come On Life", though it's taking me a while because I have no idea what to write. I'd like to thank my babe, _Sheis1963_, for beta-ing this chapter and for helping me :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

"_I see you're not a rabbit food freak like your mother." he joked as he saw a shadow on the table. Too busy trying to catch a shrimp with his chopsticks he didn't look up.  
>"House." a voice said. <em>

_When he looked up he froze. Cuddy was standing in front of him, sunglasses on and arms crossed._

"_Mom?" Rachel asked running towards the table. "What the hell are you doing here?"_

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><p>"Rachel Joy Cuddy!" Cuddy shouted at her daughter. "You ran away from home and left me in the blue of your plans! What were you thinking!"<p>

"Mom, chill out! Stop yelling!" Rachel shouted back, shaking her head. "I told you not come here! I told you I needed to do _this_ alone!"

"Rachel! You left home all of a sudden after we had a fight! I have been worried sick ever since!"

"You knew where I was! You knew I was at grandma's and yet here you are!"

"Rachel..." Cuddy pleaded.

"Mom, leave me alone! I'm not a kid anymore!" the girl yelled. Cuddy sighed and shook her head.

"We're going back home now." she said firmly.

"No." a third voice said.

"What?" Cuddy asked turning to face House.

"She came here on her own choice. Rachel wants to stay here and she will. You came here even though she had asked you not to, so..." he trailed off. Cuddy was fuming now. She shook her head in disbelief.

"I can't even believe it. I don't what to believe what I've just witnessed. Of course you'd go against me every chance you get, House! You just love to see me this worked up an angry! It gets you off, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Mom!"

"I've hurt you endless times but I haven't done anything against you right now. I'm simply stating my opinion and Rachel's." he replied calmly. "I want Rachel to be happy as much as you want to." he concluded.

Cuddy shook her head one more time and faced her daughter once again.

"Come on, we're going back to grandma's place and we are leaving tomorrow morning." she informed the girl and walked towards the parking lot.

"Moooom!" Rachel called for her. "I'm not leaving with you." she said firmly. Cuddy turned to her once again and took a deep breath. She walked back to the car, opened the truck and got a bag out of it.

"This is all the stuff you had at your grandma's place. You can do whatever you want now." she said handing her the bag. " But don't expect to come back to her place for the rest of your stay." she concluded returning to the car.

Rachel kept staring at her mother. She was completely shocked by her mother's behavior. She looked on the verge of tears and she had never seen her so angry.

When her car disappeared completely, Rachel turned towards House.

"She hates me." she whispered.

"She doesn't. She's just mad... she'll get over it." House replied.

"No, she won't. I've never seen her like this. She's not going to forgive me." she said, sitting next to him.

"Come on." he said, gathering all the take-out boxes from the table. "You can stay at my apartment for the time being." he said, earning a weak smile from the girl.

"Thank you" she mumbled. "Look. All this food to waste."

"To waste? You're kidding, right? Re-heated take-away is the best thing after Wilson's pancakes!" he said with a smile. Rachel chuckled as she helped put the boxes in the bags.

Too focused on the task at hand, they didn't notice Cuddy staring at them from her car. She wiped away her tears and drove away.

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><p>"Oh. This place is a mess!" Rachel commented as they entered House's apartment.<p>

"Well, thank you." he snorted. "You'll have time to tidy everything up, milady."

"The place surely needs a feminine touch and a squad of dustmen." she commented placing her bag down in a corner.

"The couch is big enough for you to sleep on and I can assure you it's extremely comfortable." he informed her.

"Oh! You have a piano!" she almost shouted in excitement. "I didn't know you played!" she exclaimed, pressing some of the keys.

"That I do." he said while removing some rubbish from the floor.

Rachel sat down on the bench and swiftly moved her fingers on the keys. "I haven't played in months..." she said.

House turned to look at her. The way she flexed her fingers on the keys, her hair swinging as she moved her neck from side to side. She reminded him so much of her mother even though Rachel had been adopted and he knew it.

When Rachel finished, she chuckled to herself. "I've never thought I could remember this one. I had a hard time memorizing all the notes and stuff. I have never liked it till now. How weird is that!" she said looking at the man. He couldn't hide the smile.

"What was it?" he asked.

"Allevi, it's an Italian musician. A true genius, if you ask me." she commented pressing the keys to play "twinkle twinkle little star". She laughed again. "Come on, play something while I go re-heat the food." she said. "I saw where the kitchen is and I'm sure I can deal with all the stuff." she assured him, after he had shot her a confused look.

"Kid..." he started.

"Oh come on, House! I just want to hear you play!" she almost begged, pouting. He rolled his eyes and sat on the bench.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

And so he started playing. He started playing something that he had thought he had forgotten, but yet his fingers moved without him able to control them. He kept playing the melody till he felt Rachel's hand on his shoulder. He stopped and looked up at her.

"It's ready." she informed him. She sat on one end of the couch and started eating from a box.

"It was beautiful." she said finally.

"What?" he asked.

"Whatever you were playing." she said with a soft smile. "Who wrote it?"

"I did."

"Really? Wow. I've tried to write my own stuff but I'm really not that talented." she said with a chuckle.

"I'm sure you could write something if you were only in the right mood or your muse is in the right place at the right time." he said.

"And where was your muse when you wrote this?" she asked truly interested. When House didn't reply, Rachel put the take-out box back on the table. "She was with me, wasn't she?" she asked.

House looked up at her. No words were needed. Rachel understood immediately.

"She does still love you. She's never stopped loving you."

* * *

><p>The end was so fluffy and cute and adorable and kind of IC, but right now I don't give a damn. I'm happy with it. <strong>Feedback is very much appreciated *^^*<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Another Chance**

****Hello :) I'm sorry I haven't been able to update in a while but real life was being a total bitch. Here's a new chapter though! Thanks for all the feedback and a thanks also to my beta_ partypantscuddy_.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Almost a week had gone by and Rachel was having the time of her life while living under House's roof. He had made sure to entertain her in every possible way from monster trucks to wrestling, from sappy tv-shows to an L world marathon and small piano concertos. Rachel was a very intelligent young woman, he had to admit. She had proven to be an extremely talented pianist even though she hated to admit her extraordinary ability. She had followed him to work almost every day or simply met him for lunch either in the cafeteria or in the park near the hospital. Wilson was almost with them every day; if it wasn't for lunch, he would bring the dinner or a movie.

They both hadn't received a call nor seen Cuddy. She seemed to have gone back to Columbus for the time being, though House was almost sure she was hiding somewhere, away from Arlene and them, waiting for the right moment to break over the "silent treatment" she was giving them. He was sure Wilson had heard from her. The look of guilt on the Oncologist's face every time the conversation moved to Cuddy was a dead give-away.

That night House and Wilson were playing poker at the table, sipping bear and talking about the newest nurse, who seemed to have laid eyes and hands on the Oncologist. Rachel was at the computer doing whatever a teenager does, while humming softly to a song she had on shuffle.

"Hey Wilson!" she called for the man.

"What happened to Uncle James?" he asked, closing his hands around the cards and turning to face her.

"He has lost his balls." remarked House, causing both his guests to roll their eyes at him.

"I guess we're both too old to call someone or be called like that." She said with a chuckle.  
>"Anyway, what's up?" he asked, focusing on the cards in his hands.<br>"I was wondering. Have you heard from my mother?" she asked, looking at him. Wilson became suddenly paled.  
>"I know you have, but I just want to know if she's okay or what." She continued, now typing something nonchalantly.<br>"I have heard from your mother, though she tells me she's okay, I know for sure she isn't." he stopped. "She misses you."  
>"I doubt that." She scoffed, almost snarling, closing the laptop ungracefully.<br>"She does."  
>"You weren't there the last time I met her. You weren't there when she told me not to go back to my grandmother's place. She was beyond furious." She said. "She'll never forgive me."<br>House's phone and Wilson's pager went off at the same moment.  
>"I have to go to the hospital. There's an emergency." Wilson said reaching for his coat.<br>"House? What's wrong?" Rachel asked.  
>"We need to get there as soon as possible. Rachel, you too." He said moving towards his abandoned shoes next to the door.<p>

"What's happened?" the girl asked worried.

"Your mom has just brought in Arlene. She had a stroke." He said in a whisper, looking up at Rachel.  
>"Come on, Rach. Put your shoes on, I'll grab your jacket." said Wilson. She nodded but didn't move.<br>"Come on, move!" House hissed while reaching for his cane.

"I…" she mumbled.

"Rachel…" he said, walking close to her and shaking her in the most gentle way he could muster. "Shake that catatonic state off of you. Get your shoes and let's go!" Rachel nodded, looking into his eyes. She took the jacket Wilson was handing her and grabbed the first pair of shoes she came across. House and Wison were already waiting for her in the car.

_Come on, gram. You're too bad ass to let a stroke get you down,_ she thought tying her shoes.

* * *

><p>Cuddy was pacing outside her mother's room. She walked with her head down, trying to do her best not to acknowledge the surprised stares coming from the hospital staff. Chase was walking towards her followed by two female doctors.<p>

"Dr Chase!" Cuddy greeted, offering Robert a hug.

"Dr Cuddy. This is Dr Adams and Park. We're not cardiologists but we can help."

"Thank you Robert." She said with a smile, while shaking hands with the two other doctors.  
>"So… what's happened?" Park asked.<p>

"We were outside and she fell to the ground. Dr Rickman was here five minutes ago and confirmed she had a stroke." She said, looking into the room, to see a sleeping Arlene.

"Mom!" Rachel called as soon as the elevator's door opened as she run towards her mother.

"Rach!" she said enveloping her in a tight hug.

"How's grandma?" she asked peaking into the room.

"She's sedated now." Cuddy replied, hugging the girl once again and kissing her on the head.

"Is she going to be alright?"

"Yeah…" replied House. "Arlene would never let a stroke get the best of her."

Rachel, Wilson and Chase chuckled. Cuddy turned to look at him.

"Thank you House for taking Rachel here. You can go now." She replied harshly causing Rachel to take a step away from her.

"Mom, this is not the time nor the place to act like this."

"Rachel, I've already told you…" Cuddy started but was interrupted by House.

"Don't worry Rachel. I'm going now. You can find me in my office." He said taking one more glimpse of Arlene, before limping down the hallway.

"Lisa…"

"James, not now." She hissed under her breath. She looked at her daughter and walked inside the room. Rachel looked at Wilson and nodded towards the direction House took. The Oncologist nodded in acknowledge and followed his friend.

"She looks far less intimidating when she's asleep." Rachel commented as she walked closer to the bed.

Cuddy smiled and gently smothered the wrinkles on the sheets that covered Arlene's legs and chest.

"Are you okay, mom?" the girl asked looking up at her mother.  
>"I think I'm far from being fine. My mother has just scared me to death and my daughter lives with my ex-boyfriend. This does exactly make me feel like I'm on cloud nine." Cuddy said glaring at her Rachel.<p>

"That's… good to know." She replied with sarcasm. "I'm sure you don't want to hear about this but yet you will. I like living with him… he's… fresh air! It has only been a week and he taught me so many things! Do you know that Inamrinone can cause arrhythmia and thrombocytopena?" Rachel asked smiling brightly.

Cuddy stared at her daughter for a good minute before replying. "Of course I know. I'm a doctor, you know?"

"You haven't been a real doctor for ages!" Rachel said sitting on the chair further away from her grandmother.

"I see he's been a bad influence on you." Cuddy mumbled.

"Would you stop with that?" said a third voice. Both mother and daughter looked at Arlene, whose eyes were now open and staring at the two of them. "I'm sick and tired of listening to you mumbling about how House ruined your life when all you want to do is jump his bones."

"Gram!" yelled Rachel while jumping on the bed next to the older woman and hugging her.

"Mom…" Cuddy said, checking her mother's stats. "How long have you been up?"

"Since I faked a heart-attack?" she said with a smirk.

Both Rachel and Cuddy looked at the woman in disbelief.

"Did you really…? How did… I can't believe this is happening for real!" Cuddy said as she let herself fall onto the chair she had previously been occupying.

"High five, grandma!" said Rachel in between laughs. "Oscar worthy!" she continued trying to avoid her mother's glares towards her.

"Thanks Rachel."

Rachel was still laughing when she informed them, she was going to inform House and Wilson about the news. Once she left the room, Arlene was left alone with a furious Cuddy.

"How could you do this? Are you going senile? You scared the crap out of me and Rachel!" she shouted, earning a long death-glare from her mother.

"And how could you keep up this stupid silence-treatment with your daughter for so long? And stop accusing House of whatever he has done to your life. He's good for Rachel as he was good for you when you two were together."

"Mom, would you please stop!"

"No, I won't. You're being ridiculous Lisa!" she yelled shutting her daughter up for good. "You based your 'new' life on the fact that House had ruined you for any other man. But House did not damage you for life! He ruined part of your life because you ruined part of his. His demonstration of his pain and delusion was exaggerated but that's who he is." Arlene said, sensing that her daughter was slowly coming to her senses. "You're not a damaged human being because of this experience. You're the same person you were years ago. You have worked hard at bringing yourself back to reality and you still have work to do. But you can do this."

"I wanted to protect myself and Rachel. I…"

"Of course you do. What you have to do now is protect yourself from yourself. You're a miserable person because that's what you're doing to yourself." Arlene concluded, her eyes filled with concern for her younger daughter. Lisa looked at her through tears and finally saw that her mother was still human and cared for her, under that thick layer of sarcasm and harsh comments.

"I still love him so much, mom." Cuddy whispered, shaking her head.

Rachel stood at the door, a sad smile graced her lips.

"Then tell him." She said, walking closed to her mother.

"It's not that easy…"

"But it is." Rachel said, wrapping her arms around her mother's thin frame. "He still loves you. And I think… he wants you back in his life."

"The question is, what do you want, Lisa?" said Arlene, looking at her daughter, who looked up at her and met her now warm blue eyes.

Cuddy nodded and placed a kiss on her daughter's hair as Rachel sat in her lap like she used to do as a kid. She gave her one more kiss and stared off in the distance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Another Chance**

Once again I have to apologize to all of you because I haven't updated in like more than a month I'll be updating more since I'm on holiday or at least I'll try my best.

**Chapter 6**

. . . . .

"Arlene..." House said entering the woman's room. She eyed him suspiciously before nodding slightly.

"Schmuck." she replied while gathering her stuff from the chair in the corner. House smirked.

"Remember to mention my name in your speech at the Oscar's." he joked leaning against the wall. The older woman stared up at him and chuckled.

"I won't forget. I'll also make sure to mention how much of a schmuck you and my daughter are." she smirked.

"Wow, you have called me schmuck twice in less than a minute. I'm impressed." House commented sarcastically.

"Plus one of the perks of being a old woman is that people can't stay mad at me for long." she said turning to face him. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from my least favorite Doctor?" Arlene asked.

"I was checking on my least favorite ex-mother-in-law." Arlene chuckled. "Where's your daughter?" House asked while playing with his cane.

"She's gone down with Rachel to get something to eat." she said sitting down on the bed. He nodded.

"How did you convince Dr Rickman to lie?" he asked intrigued by Arlene's master-plan to once again get House and Cuddy to get their head out their butts.

"Slipped him a couple bucks." she said matter of factly.

"I'm impressed, Arlene. I must admit I've never thought you could pull off something like that… But then again, you succeeded in having the hospital evacuated a couple years ago, haven't you?" he recalled sitting on the armchair next to the bed.

"That I did. You and Lisa are just too dumb which makes it impossible for me to make you both see reason without making a fool out of myself every single time." Arlene stated once again.

"Arlene, it's not that simple." He mumbled.

"It is actually." She paused. "Do you love her or not?" the woman asked. House looked up at her but said nothing. Arlene was looking at him, or better, glaring at him. When she met his eyes, she sighed in annoyance and rolled her eyes. "Of course you do. And she loves you more than she realizes." The Diagnostician stood up and looked outside the window.

"I've done too many horrible things to her. She shouldn't give me any more chances." House concluded still gazing outside. And with that he slowly left the room. Arlene stared at him as he limped away towards the elevator. She shook her head and sighed. What was she going to do now?

She could easily hear the longing in her daughter and in House's voice every time they were talking about the past and the possibility of starting a new life… together. Arlene wanted what was best for her daughter and House was close to perfection for her daughter. Yes, in his dysfunctionality, House was the perfect match for Lisa and Arlene was sure of that. Call it motherly instinct or simply doing the math, they had always been a functional-dysfunctional couple, but a happy one at that.

. . . . .

After Arlene's charade had come to an end, Cuddy was finally letting herself into some sort of comfort-bubble. Rachel was right behind her talking with one of the Doctors in House's team and whose name Cuddy couldn't remember. The girl seemed to have developed a great relationship with House's team and also with the Diagnostician himself.

The woman sighed and waved as few of her old employees greeted her. She glanced behind her shoulder and saw that Rachel was now running to keep up with her strides.

"Hey mom, what's the rush?" the girl asked, rushing at her mother's side.

"Absolutely nothing, hun!" Cuddy smiled and wrapped an arm around her daughter. They walked inside the cafeteria and Rachel immediately went to high five the cashier who handed her $20. While Rachel walked back to her mother, Cuddy couldn't help but notice how smug her daughter looked.

"What was that?" she asked pointing to the money Rachel was currently rolling up and hiding in her jeans' front pockets.

"These? Oh, a bet between Clara and I." Rachel explained in a d'uh tone.

"A bet?" her mother urged her to explain.

"Yup, on how much would it take you to finally step foot into the hospital." Rachel said with a grin, obviously proud of her win.

"This is crazy." Cuddy mumbled. "Anyway you better go get us a table or we won't find one." Rachel scurried off towards a table and sat herself in one of the chairs. Lisa looked ahead at the queue and grabbed a tray.

"Lisa!" someone called out for her.

"Hi" she greeted Wilson with a smile and a hug. "Are you joining us for lunch?" she asked pointing towards the table where Rachel sat.

"I'd love to." He lined up behind her. "So… rumor has it your mother fooled everyone. Again." He said and couldn't help but smirk.

"You were there too. You saw, so yeah… she did it again." She confirmed, shaking her head in disbelief. "It's her way of dealing with my personal life. She always has to storm into my life and drive me crazy." She commented, grabbing two salads and an ice cream.

"It's good to see you again, Dr Cuddy." Said one of the orderlies walking past her, earning a wide smile from Cuddy.

"You were missed." Wilson said with s smile.

"I've missed Princeton too. Though Columbus is smaller and the job is less demanding which makes it possible for me to have more free time and do all those things I had never allowed myself to do." Cuddy said with a smile. Wilson smiled back at her and nodded in understanding. "I'm happy they haven't forgotten about me." She concluded, her smile turning into a sad one.

"Any chance to have you back?" the Oncologist asked hopeful.

"I don't think I could handle coming back. My mother's latest stunt, everything House and I had… plus I have no idea what Rachel plans to do. She's supposed to start 12th grade at the end of the summer and she doesn't look like she wants to go back home." She said while paying for her lunch, but Wilson stopped her and paid for the three of them. "Always the gentleman" she said chuckling.

"Always…" he laughed.

"Hey Wilson!" Rachel waved, immediately stealing his ice cream.

"Rachel!" Cuddy hissed.

"What?" both Wilson and Rachel asked. Cuddy stared at both of them in disbelief before shaking her head. The man and the girl shrugged. Wilson was used to being left without ice cream by the end of lunch date with either House or Rachel. He was amused by House and Rachel's interaction when the three of them were having lunch together and his best friend or the girl tried to steal Wilson's ice cream before the other could. That week Rachel was winning over House, 3-1.

"So, I was talking with your mother. She told me you're supposed to start 12th grade soon." Wilson started.

"Yup, though I'm still not sure…" Rachel said munching on her ice cream.

"What!" Cuddy hissed once again.

"Calm down! I didn't say I'm not going to finish high school, you know, I'm forced to go by the State." She said in a 'duh' tone. "I may have doubts about going back to Columbus. I like it here, mom, I like it more that I could have ever imagined and Princeton has great schools! Plus I'm sure either grandma or House wouldn't mind having me here one more year or I could use my college founds to rent a place…"

"Rachel, what the hell! You're only 17! And you are not to touch any of that money!" Cuddy screeched angrily. "I can't believe you're thinking you could actually do that! It's insane!" she continued.

"I know I haven't been the perfect daughter lately, but please mom, let me stay here. I'm happy here…" Rachel said with a smile.

"You can't and you won't stay here any longer. We're going back to Columbus next week and nothing will ever make me change my mind. So, hear me out young lady, you're coming back home with me and you won't ever dare running away from home again." Cuddy said dead serious. "You'll finish school in Columbus and after that you'll decide to do whatever you want to do."

Wilson watched as the two of them exchanged glares, till Rachel finally looked down in defeat and nodded her head slowly.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" she said standing up and leaving the other two alone.

Cuddy sighed and crawled her head in her hands.

"What am I supposed to do? I've never imposed anything this important on her and now she's a teenager and she behaves like she's all grown up and I have no choice in her life. That's not true, I'm her mother, ain't I?" Cuddy talked mostly to herself.

The next half an hour was a disaster and mostly spent in silence as the Oncologist tried to reassure Cuddy that everything was going to be alright. Deep down he knew that House this time won't have enough courage or "assholeness" to go against Cuddy and side with Rachel.

. . . . .

House had grown to love that girl.

Rachel had completely changed his life since her first appearance 17 years before. At first he was jealous of her: Cuddy's attention was all on that pretty little baby girl and he was set aside; her life had revolved around that girl's life since that moment, as it should. But he had been jealous nevertheless.

Then his relationship with Cuddy has come and gone quite fast. But Rachel had been there and he had started to grow fonder on the girl. Even though his first impression of the girl wasn't the best, she had proved him wrong. House chuckled as he recalled playing "Feed the monkey" with her and teaching her how to play with all the other toys in order to get into that preschool.

And then after so many years she had driven all the way from Columbus to get to know him. He had sided up with her when Cuddy had demanded she came back home with her. Did he really do that for Rachel of because he wanted to be his usual abrasive self and go against Cuddy? He wondered and still he hadn't figured out the answer.

"Hey…" Rachel said as she entered his office and sat on his chaise-longue.

"Hey…" he replied. "What's wrong?" he asked as he looked up at her and heard her hiccupping.

"Nothing, it's just… " Rachel shook her head and started playing with the rim of her shorts. "I'm going back to Columbus with mom next week. Not because I want to, but because she's forcing me to attend my last year of high school there."

"She's right." House said. Rachel looked up at him confused. "She has let you do all you've wanted till now. You drove all the way here to get to know your mom's ex who you barely remember from your childhood. That is actually crazy, I don't think anyone has ever done that before, unless you count that crazy blonde chick from Friends…" he ended with a joke.

Rachel chuckled. "Phoebe? She was cool." Now it was House's turn to chuckle.

"Do you really think she's right?" the girl asked.

"I do. You've done something incredibly crazy and she has let you. She came to Princeton to take you back home because she knows what's best for you. And as much as I had liked having you around, I think you should go back home, finish school, kick asses this last year of school and go to college to study whatever crazy stuff you want to study." He paused. "But trust me when I tell you that studying philosophy is for sissies who will never ever get a proper job if any." He commented.

"I've always had a thing for philosophy though." Rachel joked. She stood up and walked towards the door. "I'll come by your place to grab all my stuff before the weekend and maybe we can catch up one last time before I leave…" she proposed standing by the door.

"I'd love to." House admitted truthfully. Rachel nodded.

"Ok then. I'll call you." She said with a sad smile, while turning around now facing the hallway.

"Wait…" he stopped her. "Come here..."

Rachel immediately flung herself into his arms and hugged him.

"I'm going to miss you, kid." He said. His lips hinting the ghost of a smile.

"Me too, old man." She joked as she let him go. "I'll see you then…"

"Yup… You won't get rid of me easily now." He concluded.

Rachel walked outside the office and through the hallway till she reached the elevator. There she let herself lean against the wall. She wasn't crying, not again. She was smiling because she knew it wouldn't be the last time her feet graced that same path.

Neither of them knew, someone was watching them from the other end of the hallway. Cuddy turned on her heels as her daughter left House's office. She walked towards the other part of the fourth floor and let herself wonder just how much Rachel and House cared for each other and just how much she still loved him. After all that time.


End file.
